Money, Power, No Respect: How Trump’s Privilege Hurts our Children.

Erratic, cynical and out-of-control are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think about Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.  Negative race relations are at an all-time high, so it is terrifying to potentially have someone this transparent about his prejudice and disdain for several minority and religious groups serve as President of the United States. Like many other adults on both side of the campaign, I often wonder… Read More

How one local high school is working to strengthen its relationship within the community.

At Sci Academy, located in New Orleans East at the former site of Marion Abramson High School, the Collegiate Academies leadership team has been on a relentless mission to reshape how community members view the charter school system. Despite common beliefs, plans to implement an improved school management system were already underway before Hurricane Katrina because of poor school performance. However, following the devastation of the storm, there was the need for… Read More

The Healing Process

  This story is nothing new: A New Orleans family moves to Baton Rouge after losing everything in the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina. Just this past week, yet another New Orleans family loses everything due to historic flooding in Baton Rouge and other river parishes. My wife, mother and I traveled to Baton Rouge this past weekend to help my mother-in-law and sister-in-law clean out and gut out their house. One… Read More

Flood Victims: How We Can Help!

As I sit here typing I’m full of emotion. My heart is so heavy for the victims of this horrible flood. Living through Katrina and all the stress that came with that is something you just never get over. Now for some, they are reliving that same pain. I have a good friend that lost everything. A school teacher waiting to start the new year with her husband and two kids now… Read More

3 mistakes students make that can impact their future

  You’ve heard it before: the choices you make now will shape your future, and for our children this is especially true. Most students will naturally avoid anything that requires extra work, so they make choices that they feel are “safe” and never unlock their true potential. Others are more adventurous and make daring choices that leave you scratching your head saying, “What were you thinking?” Here are three common mistakes students… Read More

Change

This summer, the Orleans Parish School Board turned over operation of  The Youth Study Center to the national nonprofit Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings. CEEAS is run by David Domenici who is no stranger to working with delinquent juveniles. He is the founding principal of the Maya Angelou Academy in Washington, D.C.  “While acting as Maya Angelou’s principal from 2007 to 2011, Domenici crafted short, thematic modules that met state curriculum requirements but also… Read More

Back to school: 5+5=10 ideas for connecting with your child’s school

With school about to begin in a few days, I think it’s a great time to reach out to parents and discuss the relationship they have with their child’s school. I hope that this information will be helpful in fostering a productive school year. Below, I offer five general suggestions of my own, and also present five specific ideas from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) about how to connect with teachers… Read More

Broken Promise

In Louisiana, there are 17 impoverished families enduring a real-life “Scott’s Tots” nightmare as they watch educational opportunities slip through their fingers. Last week, these Louisianans learned that the school-choice vouchers promised to their children would be yanked from them just a month before the start of the academic year. Nikesha Hudson is one of the tens of thousands of parents in Louisiana who have, out of devotion to their children, fought… Read More

Are schools responsible for teaching our youth about their racial identity?

  With all the negative images of Blacks featured in news and music, when will our kids be able to understand the rich history and strength of their cultural identities?   Our minds and discussion boards are constantly plagued by negative stereotypes portrayed on social media and reality television, high incarceration and murder rates in our communities, and images of minorities being murdered at the hands of those sworn to protect and… Read More